Leonel Moreno, ‘Migrant Influencer’ Encouraging Others to Invade US and Squat at Homes, Is Now on the Run From Authorities
Jennie Taer, New York Post, March 27, 2024
The “migrant influencer” encouraging others to invade the US and squat at the homes of citizens skipped out on authorities shortly after arriving in the country and is on the run from immigration officials, The Post can reveal.
Venezuelan national Leonel Moreno crossed the southern border illegally in April 2022 at Eagle Pass, Texas, and was enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, which allows federal authorities to track migrants using ankle monitors or other technology.
However, Moreno didn’t follow the rules and is now listed as an “absconder” from the program, according to internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents seen by The Post.
Moreno — who claims in his videos that he, his wife and daughter receive $350 a week from the federal government — appears to be hiding in plain sight, even posting a video in front of a police car from Gahanna, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
Leonel Moreno, an illegal alien invader who boasts about America paying all his bills and gives tips to others on how to squat for free in properties, has a snotty cry after his 500k follower TikTok account was suspended. pic.twitter.com/BD2v4RWS5C
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) March 23, 2024
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Moreno was originally released into the US on parole due to a lack of space in detention facilities. This has previously meant migrants haven’t been fully interviewed and vetted by authorities — which usually takes around three days — before being let into the US.
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Moreno has become a TikTok influencer, encouraging “fellow Venezuelans” to squat in the homes of US citizens and calling President Biden “mi papa.”
However, on Thursday it appeared his profile on the platform had been deleted, although he continued to post on Instagram, with a video of him flauting $100 bills from a huge wad.
Moreno also frequently shows off supplies purchased using food stamps. He can also be seen on his Instagram waving a Social Security card while lying in bed with his baby.
On social media, he frequently boasts of his earnings from begging for cash, claiming he makes roughly $1,000 a day.
“I don’t like to work,” he tells followers. “Boys, in the US there are a million tricks, a million things to do,” he says as he outlines how to live effectively for free in a new country.
“I’ve concluded that the American Dream is real,” he said in a separate post, adding that he has lived for more than a year in the US and never had to work. “This is food of the best quality that they just give you.”
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Moreno claims he traversed 12 countries to reach the US and tried to seek asylum in Canada last year alongside his wife, but ultimately came to America because he didn’t get free handouts up north.
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The Venezuelan migrant also instructs followers on how to carry out scams, such as claiming abandoned vehicles to sell for scrap and giving tips on how to return clothes that have been worn.
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